Sealing machine



JuneV 18, 1940. E, E, HQGG SEALING MACHINE Filbd arch 14, 1938 INVENTOR. EMERSON E. H065.

'YBY

ATTO EY.

' entailing relatively low Patented June 18, .1.940

d UNrrizzp STA-'res- PATENT OFFICE SEALING MACHINE Emerson E. Hogs, New Kensington,

Pa., assignor to Aluminumompany ofAmerlea, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania y l This invention relates to sealing lrnacliines, and

relates particularly to apparatus for the aixation of plug closures to containers. Plug closures of the type to which I refer are shallow, cup-likev shells that have associated therewith a sealing gasketand are affixed within the mouth of a container by expansion.

Various sealing machines have in the past been developed to aliix such closures, and, in generaL' the sealing heads of these machines have been.

characterized by closure expansion means including a plurality of segments. Such segments in several of the known sealing heads have consisted of slit portions of a tubular member, which portions are flexed outwardly by suitable means to expand and allx a closure. It is apparent that to permit easy flexing such segments are characterized by considerable length so that the sealing head of which the slit member forms a part is necessarily large.

Sealing heads have also been developed in whichthe expansion members are forced radially outwardly in sliding contact with a fiat bearmg surface by a suitably shaped cam member which also slides in contact with the expansion members. These heads consequently are characterized by frictional losses which lowertheir mechanical efficiency.

The `principal object of this invention is that of providing a compact and ellcient sealing head for ailxing plug closures. Related thereto is the object of providing a. sealing head having oscillatable closure expansion members pendently arranged to permit actuation thereof in a manner frictional losses of applied force. In addition, it is an object to provide an arrangement of the aforesaid expansion means and actuating means utilizing alever-like mechanical advantage to effect an additional reduction of the applied force required to aillx a closure. Furthermore, it is an object to provide sealing apparatus having the foregoing advantages that is adaptable to use i'n either manually operated or power-driven machines. i These and other objects related thereto will be more fully understood when considered in the light of the vfollowing description of-the accompanying drawing, in which: t Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectional view o! sealing apparatus illustrative of myJnVentlon, showing the operating cam in uppermost relative position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II 0f F18, 1; l i

Fig. 3 is a vertical view, partly in section, illustrative of the apparatus of Fig. 1, but showing the operating cam in lowermost relative position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a closure ex^ 5 pansion member. l The apparatus comprises a'centrally apertured 4housing I that has an annular top flange 2 and an annular bottom flange 3. the bottom flange being provided interiorly and exteriorly with 0 screw threads. Within the recess formed by the bottom flange 3 and major portion of thehousing l are segments Il pendently' arranged upon an unyielding or rigid annular support 5.` The `support is provided with threads by means of l5 which it is attached to the threaded flange 3.

A cylindrical cam 6 extends through the housing I, an'dthis member,` together with a continuous annular spring 1, maintains the segments 4 in circumferential `arrangement with respect to both itself and the support 5.1 The upper end ofthe cam 6 is provided with a shoulder 8 and is suitably recessed to accommodate a shaft 9 to which thecamis attached as by a set screw` 2r I0 that is threaded into the shoulder 8. The screw I0 projects through a slot II in the ange 2 to support the housing and the parts attachedl thereto.

The details `of segment shape and manner of 30 support that make possible the movement of the segments upon movement of the cam 6 relative thereto, or vice versa, will now he described in more detail. The support 5 has an inwardly directed ange that is provided with an annular 35 peripheral portion I3. Extending from the `top surface of the support flange to a chamfered edge portion Il, the peripheral portion I3 is convexly arcuate in cross-section and constitutes a substantially semi-toroidal portion forming a bearing surface for-'the segments 4 which are suspended therefrom upon shoulders I5. The shoulder I5 of each segment, which is a plane surface,

forms with the adjoining segment portion an angle of less than 90 adapted to permit a suits able range of oscillation of4 the segments without .binding against the surfaces of adjacent parts.

Preferably this is obtained by an angle of less than 90 adapted to permit the desired range of' oscillation about the li'lxed center of rotation pro- 50 vided by the support 5 in an arc concentric with the arcuate cross-section of the peripheral portion I3. In addition, in order to permit such free oscillations of the segments, the surface of each segment facing the cylindrically shaped cam u 6 must be of suitable contour and is preferably so shaped that, when in contact with the cam throughout the range is complementary thereto. To prevent binding of the segments against each other, each segment at its upper end is suitably relieved, as indicated at i6. Near the lower end of each segment 4 a projection il adapted to contact the vcam 6 is tions l1 to the respective positions such as 'those provided which is adjustably attached as by v This guide' means of threads to the flange 3. member has a flaring mouth l which leads to a suitably shapedseat 26 adapted toreceive the mouth of the container to be sealed. A large jam nut 2l locks the guide member I8 in desired position on the housing i.

In the operation of. this apparatus, suitable movement of the segments tand the cam 6 relative to each other from the respective positions shown in Fig. 1, causes'the cam to advance along the adjoining inclined surfaces of the projecshown in 3, so that the segments oscillate about the fixed support 5 and have their lower ends forced outwardly against a shell 22, which motion expands and deforms the shell against the sealing gasket 23 to retain frictionally the shell and gasket forming the closure within the mouth of the container. Upon withdrawal of the cam 4i3 from actuating contact with the projections il, the spring 'l returns the segments to theirv normal position. In connection with the foregoing relative movement between the segments 4 and cam 6, the upper end of the slot lll serves as a stop by contacting the screw I0, or vice versa,

depending upon the manner of creating such movement.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the pendent segments 4 are at allV times retained in circumferential suspension from the support 5 by the cam 6; that they have at anyl given position only line contact with the arcuate bearing surface of the support E, so that the kapplied power lost in overcoming friction between the segments and their bearing surface is slight;

and, since the shape of the innerl faces of the segments with respect to the cam 6 permits the segments to roll against the cam upon relative movement of the'cam and segment projections f n while lin actuating contact. that friction@ losses are further reduced. Moreover, the mechanical advantage accompanying the suspension f of. the-"segments at their upper ends and application of actuating force against their lower ends.

v shouldv now be' apparent.

of segment oscillation, it

2,204,594 l Numerous modincationsof the embodiment by which I have chosen to illustrate my invention can'be made depending upon the circumstances ofuse." For instance,in the sealing of glass containers, it may be found desirable to provide an elastic seat pad, made of rubber for example-to support the exterior container mouth portion to reduce breakage. gether with a connection of the head to an evacuating means and the few changes necessary to hermetically seal the head creates a highly efcient vacuumizing unit characterized by an extremely small vacuumizing chamber within the head. Thus, it is to be understood that numerous modifications and embodiments come within my inventive concept; and with the intent, therefore, to include all modifications and embodiments coming within that concept, I claim:

1. In a machine for aiiixing closures to containers, a rigid annular support having a semitoroidal edge portion, a plurality ofoscillatable closure expansion 'means carried solely by said support, and means for actuating said expansionV Vsaid shoulder bearing tangentially against said semi-toroidal edge portion and maintaining line contact therewith throughout the operative are of said expansion means, whereby said arc has a constant radius.

2. In a machine for afilxing closures to containers, a Vrigid annular support having a semitoroidal edge portion, a plurality of oscillatable closure expansion means carried Vsolely by said support, and means for actuating said expansion means, each of said expansion means being suspended' between said support and said actuating means by an outwardly extending end shoulder, said shoulder being a plane surface forming with the adjoining surfaceA of said expansion means an angle of less than permitting said shoulder to bear throughout the operative arc of said expansion means against suchv a portion of said semi-toroidal edge portion that said arc has a constant radius.

l 3. In a machine for aflixing closures to containers, a rigid annular support having a semitoroidal ed'ge portion, a plurality of oscillatable segments carried solely by said support, and a cam, each of said segments being suspended between said support and said cam by an outwardvless than 90". 'permitting said .shoulder to beau operative arc of said expansion throughout the means against such a portion of saidA semitoroidal edge portion that said arc has a constant radius.- EMERSON E. HOGGr.

The addition of such a pad to-4 

